Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

September 18, 2018 By 1 Comment


Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Middle Grade
Length: Full Length (278 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

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Who knew a goldfish could set Minli on the adventure of a lifetime?

Minli’s family works hard but are very poor. Yet Minli still finds joy in her life. She is captivated by the stories her father, Ba, tells every night. While Minli delights in her father’s tales, her mother, Ma, does not. Ma sees little use in telling stories of magic and treasure when their life is so dull and dreary. I found it extremely sad to watch Ma’s bitterness taint the happiness Minli found in the stories. In an attempt to change her family’s fortune, Minli buys a goldfish, which only further upsets Ma. Even though it is done unintentionally, Ma’s sour attitude has deeply affected Minli. Determined to change her family’s life and make Ma happy, Minli sets off on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how to change her family’s fortune. Can one small girl find the Old Man of the Moon?

Minli is a great heroine and role model for children. She is smart, resourceful, kind, and brave. She cares deeply for her parents as well as the friends she makes on her journey. When she leaves home, she isn’t running away from her parents or her life. She’s searching for a way to make it better. I must add I am extremely glad to see parents portrayed in a positive and loving manner. I have read too many books for children and teens in which parents are absent, indifferent, or neglectful. It is clear Minli’s parents love her very much and are anxious for her return.

Minli’s story is broken up by many small stories which are relevant to her journey, and I love how Ms. Lin wove all these tales and together. As I read, I began to see links forming between them. It was interesting to see how they all connected not only to each other, but also to Minli’s story.

Minli began her quest with the desire to change her family’s fortune. However, when she finally meets the Old Man of the Moon, she faces an unexpected dilemma and a difficult choice. I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say Minli’s response to the situation is beautiful, and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to such a lovely story.

I had so much fun reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. It is a wonderful tale of family and friendship. I highly recommend it to readers young and old alike.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Kima by A.H. Amin

September 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Kima by A.H. Amin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (126 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Christmas Eve 1928 gave birth to a yearly phenomenon in South Africa. A herd of false killer whales were found beached upon the shore. It has also given birth to the story of two young children who meet an old woman named Kima. Kima somehow knows why this has happened, but that’s not all she knows. The children, Alex and Alice, realize that there is more to this woman that what meets the eye, and ear. She will reveal to them a tale, a mysterious story she claims was passed on to her by a mythical Black Seagull.

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Animals can be smarter creatures than any human would have ever guessed was possible.

One of the things I liked the most about the animals in this book was how different their understanding of the world were when compared to the way a human being would interpret the same events. There were times when I needed to sit and think for a moment about what these characters were describing to the audience before I realized what they were talking about. Their descriptions were clearer to understand once I’d done this once or twice, but I liked the fact that I needed to put a little effort in at first to see where they were coming from.

I found it challenging to get to know the large cast of characters in this story. There simply wasn’t enough time to explore anyone’s personality or backstory in depth. That made it difficult for me to bond to the characters since I didn’t know a lot about them and the scenes switched between various points of few so often. If not for this issue, I would have chosen a much higher rating for it as the plot itself was well done.

Figuring out the right age group for this story was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. The narrators talked about serious topics like death and grief, but they did it in a way that was poetic instead of frightening. As someone who reads a lot of fiction meant for children and teenagers, it made me happy to see a story for elementary students tackle sensitive subjects like these with so much empathy. While I would recommend readers be aware of the themes ahead of time, I do think this is an appropriate read for children who are eight or older.

Kima is the kind of fable that I’d recommend to adults and children alike. It has something for anyone who is old enough to read something a little longer than is usual for this genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Sophie and Max by Antoinette Corum

September 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Sophie and Max by Antoinette Corum
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (120 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One evening, as a beautiful young scientist fights for her life in a damp alley, there is a hiccup in the flow of space and time. At the precise moment she draws her last breath, a shift in the cosmos provides an opportunity for a new life in a new form. The Siamese cat is cold and wet when a kindly old man walks by the alley and hears her cry. He rescues the cat and takes her to his apartment above the book shop he owns. He introduces her to the shaggy mutt Max who shares his home, and it’s hate at first sight! Max is upset to have an interloper—a cat, no less—share his living space and affection with Mr. Cavaliere. When the old man decides that the Siamese reminds him of the Italian movie star, Sophia Loren, jealousy bites Max right on the nose! As cat and dog eye each other suspiciously, the Siamese faces the growing uneasiness that she doesn’t belong in this feline body. But she’s going to need Max’s help to solve this problem. Max has decided the cat is the problem and the sooner he gets rid of her, the better. With the use of ancient books, powerful crystals, and magic chants, Sophie and Max set off on adventures across space and time. In their travels, in both animal and human form, they meet good guys and bad guys, including a helpful wizard and an evil villain. They learn the value of cooperation and trust. They learn how to compromise and improvise on the spot. And, in looking out for each other, they learn the true meaning of friendship.

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This book had a terrific sense of humor. I especially enjoyed the conversations that Sophie and Max had with each other. They were often sarcastic with one another but never in a mean-spirited way. Instead, their dialogue was more like a competition to see who could say the most truthful but also outlandish thing possible. It was nice to see them get so many opportunities to one-up each other.

There were some pacing issues. As intrigued as I was by the blurb, I found my attention wandering as Max and Sophie’s adventures continued because of how much the plot was stretched out to cover them. The number of things they experienced seemed like they could have been covered by a smaller number of pages. It would have been helpful to either have more conflict in the storyline or fewer scenes to explore what happened to these characters after they met.

The magic in this universe was described well. While it took me a while to understand the rules that governed how it worked, even the most complicated parts made sense once I’d gathered a few more clues. I also liked the fact that the characters were just as confused about this sort of magic as I was at first. It made a great deal of sense for them to need some time to put all of the pieces together as well. Watching them eventually figure it out was satisfying.

Sophie and Max should be read by anyone who loves animals.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Skirt by Gary Soto

August 30, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Skirt by Gary Soto
Publisher: Yearling
Genre: Childrens, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (82 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Miata Ramirez is scared and upset. The skirt she brought to show off at school is gone. She brought her forklorico skirt to show off at school and left it on the bus. It’s not just any skirt. This skirt belonged to Miata’s mother when she was a child in Mexico. On Sunday, Miata and her dance group are supposedgoing to dance forklorico, or traditional Mexican folk dances; and that kind of dancing requires a skirt like the one Miata lost. It’s Friday afternoon. Miata doesn’ t want her parents to know she’s lost something again. Can she find a way to rescue the precious skirt in time?

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How far would you go to correct an honest mistake?

Miata was good at a lot of things, but keeping track of important possessions wasn’t one of them. I appreciated the fact that her biggest weakness was something that mattered so much to the storyline. It was also interesting to meet a character who had so much trouble remembering where she put stuff that she honestly did mean to keep safe. This isn’t something I’ve seen written about a lot for this age group, so I was glad to run across a character who has trouble with this part of life.

There was what I thought of as a fairly obvious solution to the main character’s dilemma that she never seemed to catch onto. As much as I enjoyed watching her and her best friend, Ana, try to figure out how to find her folklórico skirt again before big dance on Sunday, it would have been nice for her to try an easier method for getting it back before they dove into the more complicated plans.

One of the other things I adored about this book was Miata’s relationship with Ana. They were supportive of each other no matter what was happening in their lives. I also liked the fact that both of these girls always treated each other with kindness and respect even when they were a little annoyed with one another for completely valid reasons. They were great role models of how friends should behave.

I’d recommend The Skirt to anyone who has ever struggled with a bad habit that they can’t quite seem to quit.

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Time Travelling Dinos: The Pilot by Chris Sykes

November 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DINOS
Time Travelling Dinos: The Pilot by Chris Sykes
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (269 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if time travel has already been invented, but the technology for travelling through time is lost somewhere in the past – way, way back in the past? What then? What would a dinosaur really need with a time machine, anyway?

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They say curiosity killed the cat. What would it do to a friendly dinosaur?

One of the things I enjoy the most about Mr. Sykes writing style is his playful sense of humor. I was excited to read his newest work due to how much I’ve enjoyed his stuff in the past. This story was tailored specifically for elementary students, but there is also plenty of material here that adults can get a chuckle out of as well. I was thoroughly amused by all of the funny stuff that happened as Larry and Tim adjusted to what happened to them.

There were a few minor pacing issues. Normally I’d expect something written for this age group to be shorter and have a plot that moves a little faster than what this author has written. The pacing problems weren’t serious enough to keep me from enjoying Larry and Tim’s adventures, but had they not occurred I would have given this book a higher rating.

The dialogue was really well done. Both of the main characters had an incredibly distinctive voice that I was able to pick out almost immediately. What made this even more impressive is that there wasn’t a great deal of it to begin with. Most of what I learned about the setting and other characters happened in the descriptions, so it was really interesting to see how much material was packed into the dialogue that was included.

I’d recommend Time Travelling Dinos: The Pilot to anyone who enjoys time travel tales.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem – The Story of Santa Claus by Scott Roloff

November 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment

INN
The Innkeeper of Bethlehem – The Story of Santa Claus by Scott Roloff
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre:: Contemporary, Historical, Holiday, Inspirational, YA/Middle Grade
Length: Short Story (75 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem will permit you and your family to enjoy Santa Claus and the other secular customs of Christmas within the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth. For little children, Santa Claus becomes a real person delivering presents to them from Jesus. Each Christmas season, reading a chapter a night will become a holiday tradition for the entire family.

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Each night two children are told a chapter of a story which involves the nativity and Santa Claus. Strange combination? Not really when you consider Santa Claus comes to visit all children on Christ’s birthday.

When Mary and Joseph arrive at the stable in Bethlehem Shai and Adi are sleeping in the stable because they’ve let out all the room at their inn. Adi helps Mary give birth to Jesus and when an angel warns them of the plan to dispose of all new babies, they escape with the new family to Egypt. Shai and Adi stay with the family for the rest of the story and then their own tale begins.

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem tells the nativity and life of Jesus in a fictional way ending with the birth of Santa Claus. Each chapter has a daily date running from December 6th to December 24th. I wish I had a grandchild living nearer to me so that I could read a chapter each night. I’m sure it would encourage a young person to go to bed quickly so the next day and next chapter would arrive quickly.

Well thought out and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it presented facts and fiction in a way bound to interest children.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Tales from the Rainbow Bridge by A. Abbie Aardmore

November 10, 2014 By 2 Comments

BRIDGE
Tales from the Rainbow Bridge by A. Abbie Aardmore
Publisher: R.M. Meluch
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (142 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tales from the Rainbow Bridge is a story of heartbreaking loss and joyous reunions as told by Zack, a dog, the greeter at the Rainbow Bridge, as he waits for his own beloved companion to take him the rest of the way home. The endings are all happily ever after, but you must cry to get there.

There aren’t many things in this world that are eternal, but love is one of them.
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Zach’s backstory was achingly beautiful. He was the perfect narrator for this tale. I could feel his love for his human as well as his grief at being separated from her for so long. The bond between person and their dog can be an incredible thing to see. What made it even more interesting in this case is that everything the reader learns about their life together is shared through the mindset of a dog who doesn’t always understand human culture.

Ms. Aardmore clearly has a wonderful sense of humor. From what dogs really think of the word “no” to what happens when the atmosphere in the Rainbow Bridge rains shoes, there was a lot of funny stuff tucked between her heartwarming passages. It definitely wasn’t something I was expecting to find, but giggling through my tears made me love the whole thing even more.

I’m not embarrassed to admit that I started crying within a few pages. The stories in this book were incredibly touching, especially the ones featuring dogs whose earthly lives included any kind of mistreatment. There’s a soft spot in my heart for rescued animals, although of course I rooted for all of the dogs as they waited for their humans.

Figuring out the most appropriate age recommendation was tricky. There are some incredibly sad scenes in this tale, but the writing style in those sections seems like it was created with young elementary students in mind. Even incredibly difficult topics are approached in ways that I wouldn’t necessarily expect to find for an audience that was quite a bit older or younger than that. There’s a nice balance between telling the truth and avoiding too many details. This is something I would have loved when I was eight.

Tales from the Rainbow Bridge is a must-read for adults and kids alike.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Baymo by Seth C. Kadish

October 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

BAYMO
Baymo by Seth C. Kadish
Publisher: LadyBee Publishing
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (74 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Baymo” is the story of a young dog who longs for the freedom and excitement of human life without comprehending the responsibility and worries that go along with such a life. Through a bit of magic from Father Moon, Baymo’s wish comes true – he becomes a man – but his subsequent misadventures teach him that being a man has its price.

But he was a man, a man, a man! Baymo was in a state of bliss, filled with joy and radiant. He stood, he fell, he pushed himself back up again. Tottered, veered, spun, teetering, toppling, a spinning top, out of control, overcome with pleasure.

He was so involved in this new game that he did not notice Spike enter the yard. The little pug stared at him with pop eyes, amazed at the sight of a tall, wobbly, naked, golden-haired man, wearing a grin, weird noises bursting out of his mouth. Spike was so startled by the bizarre apparition that he forgot to be scared.
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That is, until the naked man took a step towards Spike and smiled. Spike gave a nervous bark. What to do? And where was Baymo to tell him what to do? Where was his best friend, the golden dog?

Baymo teetered and tottered toward Spike, croaking with pleasure at his newfound manhood. To his amazement, the little dog raced back to the safety and sanity of his house, an escapee from the clutches of the horrible stranger.

If wishes were dog bones, Baymo’s stomach would be filled to the brim.

Strong character development is one of the most important things I look for when reviewing a book. I love connecting with the protagonist so deeply that I feel like I’m experiencing their world alongside them. Baymo amused me from the beginning, but it was the way he reacted to everything that happened to him that captured my attention. He was incredibly well-developed. His personal evolution was so gradual and tied to the plot that I was actually caught off-guard by how much information the author was able to pack into something this length.

The vast majority of the plot seemed perfectly suited for kids in early elementary school, but there were a few scenes that made me hesitate. The violence in them wasn’t graphic, but it happened often enough that I raised my age recommendation by two years. It’s definitely something that should be screened beforehand by parents or teachers. If these scenes had been toned down, I would have chosen a much higher rating for this tale.

This was my first introduction to Mr. Kadish’s work. I enjoyed his storytelling so much that I actually read all of Baymo’s adventures over the course of a single afternoon. While I don’t know if the author has any intention of writing a sequel, there is certainly room here to do so. If he does follow up with these characters again, this reader would be quite curious to see what happens next.

I’d recommend Baymo to dog-lovers of all ages.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Mysterious Mandolin by Aneta Cruz

October 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment

MANDOLIN
The Mysterious Mandolin by Aneta Cruz
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (137 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Mysterious Mandolin is a tale of two stepsisters whose love for one another must overcome death, wickedness of dark magic, and bullying. This fairy tale juxtaposes the light and the dark side of characters and settings, while it examines the lengths to which people would go in order to achieve what they most desire.

Magic is many things, but it isn’t always predictable.
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The premise caught my attention immediately because I’m a lifelong fan of anything that could be said to begin “once upon a time.” Within a few pages I was hooked and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. The writing was crisp and clean. Given that it was divided into short chapters, I think this would be a good book to read aloud. I enjoyed it so much that I actually read the whole thing over the course of a single day!

The characters were all two-dimensional. While I completely understand that fairy tales make sharp distinctions between right and wrong, this story would have easily earned a much higher rating had the narrator attempted to explain why someone who is surrounded by nothing but negative influences would choose to be good. This would have fit in beautifully with the other messages that are woven into the plot as well.

The metaphors were a lot of fun. Ms. Cruz has an incredibly imaginative approach to describing what are usually completely ordinary experiences. Her writing style is well-suited to this genre. If I had to pick only one of her metaphors as my favourite, it would be the one she used to describe one of her characters trying on a dress. The dress slipped on “like butter onto a hot pan.”

It took me a while to figure out the best age recommendation due to some potentially frightening content. While the violence is written in the highly stylized manner I’d expect to find in this genre and mostly happens offscreen, it was described in just enough detail that I raised my original recommendation by a few years. Some children in early elementary school may be perfectly comfortable with what happens, but this is something that parents and teachers should decide on a case-by-case basis ahead of time.

The Mysterious Mandolin is a good choice for anyone who loves traditional fairy tales.

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Falcon Boy and Bewilder Bird versus Dr. Don’t Know in a Battle for all the Life of all the Planets by Barnaby Taylor

October 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment

FALCON
Falcon Boy and Bewilder Bird versus Dr. Don’t Know in a Battle for all the Life of all the Planets by Barnaby Taylor
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (167 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The world is going to be destroyed.

Everyone you know and love will be gone.

The world needs someone to step forward.

Falcon Boy is that someone.
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You must read Falcon Boy and Bewilder Bird versus Dr Don’t Know in a Battle for all the Life of all the Planets.

It’s much easier to talk about saving the world than it is to actually try to do it.

One of the most interesting things about this book has to do with how the narrator jumps from one scene to the next. Sometimes the connections between them weren’t immediately apparent. The narrator isn’t any of the main characters, so he or she has access to information that Falcon Boy and his friends do not. Some of the funniest sections involve the narrator anticipating the audience’s reaction to what is about to happen and explaining why it’s unfolding in that particular way.

There were a lot of characters in this story. At times I had trouble remembering who was who because there were so often introduced in groups. I chuckled at the short, funny backstories the author provided about them, but there were simply too many characters in the plot for something of this length and for this audience.

Speaking of a sense of humour, this book has a great one. It was clearly written for kids based on the subject matter, but there is plenty of humor to be found for adult readers as well. None of the innuendoes are at all inappropriate for its primary audience, but some of them make references that are much more likely to amuse adults than they will elementary students.

Due to the large number of characters there were some pacing issues that began about a third of the way through the plot. So many new faces were introduced one after the other that I had trouble adjusting to Falcon Boy and Bewilder Bird’s predicament once they came back into the plot. A glossary or appendix of some sort would have helped me keep the characters straight without slowing down the action.

The pop culture references were amusing. Almost all of them were general enough that they’ll apply to the tropes found in music and television for many years to come. The few that were more specific talk about things that I expect will remain well known for a long time.

Falcon Boy and Bewilder Bird versus Dr. Don’t Know in a Battle for all the Life of all the Planets has by far the longest title of any book I’ve reviewed here so far. Sometimes fun things come in big packages!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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